Hydraulic amalgamating-machine for extracting gold from sand in place.



Patented Mar. [2, IBM. G. S. BARTHOLOMEW, Decd.

E. A. BECK. Administrator. HYDRAULIC AMALGAMATING MACHINE FOR EXTRACTING GOLD FROM SAND IN PLACE.

(Application filed June 20, 1900.) (No Model.)

. rrn Tats 'ATENT Prion.

GROVE S. BARTHOLOMEW, OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA; E A. BECK ADMINISTRATOR OF SAID BARTHOLOMEW, DECEASED.

HYDRAULIC AMALGAMATlNG-MACHINE FOR EXTRACTlNG GOLD FROM SAND IN PLACE.

SPEGIFIOATION forming part Qf Letters Patent No. 669,91 1, dated March 12,1901.

Application filed June 20, 1900.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GROVE S. BARTHOLO- MEW, a citizen of the United States, residing at Los Angeles, in the county of Los Angeles and State of California, have invented a new and useful Hydraulic Amalgamating Machine for Extracting Gold from Sandin Place, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates toimprovements upon a hydraulic machine for extracting gold from sand described in my application for Letters Patent of the United Stat-es, Serial No. 17 ,162, filed May 18, 1900, and in which application I have shown a hydraulic machine for extracting gold from sand in place comprising a cup, means for handling the cup, and means for discharging water below the cup. The means shown in said application for handling the cup and for conducting the Water and discharging it below the cup consists in a tube fastened to the cup and extending through the bottom thereof, and openings are provided in the tube for discharging water inside the cup. 4

No claim is made in this application to the construction shownin the said prior application, for the reason that the same is claimed in said prior application.

In my present invention I provide an amal gamating-surface above the mouth of the tube. This amalgamating-surface may be supplied in several ways. For example, the outside of the tube may be of copper or other suitable material coated with mercury. The floor of the cup may be of copper or other suitable material covered with mercury, or one or more amalgamating-plates may be provided to furnish the amalgamating surface for collecting the gold. Also a body of mercury may be contained in the cup. I also provide means for regulating the discharge of water into the cup and also for regulating the discharge ofwater at the mouth of the tube. I also provide means for directing the water downward inside the cup against the bottom of the cup.

My invention also includes the specific devices by which I apply the amalgamatingplates to the machine.

The accompanying drawings illustrate my invention.

Serial No. 20,991. on model.)

Figure I is a vertical mid-section of one form of my hydraulic amalgamating-machine in operation. Fig. II is a plan section on line II II, Fig. I, omitting the upper collar which holds the plates in place. Fig. III is an axial section of a modified form of the invention which is preferable in the pointof simplicity and economy of construction. Fig. IV is a view of the inside of the upper one of the collars which holds the plates in position.

The tube for supplying water for separating the gold from the sand may be a double tube or a single tube. In Fig. I the doubletube form is shown, and in Fig. III the singletube form is shown.

Referring to Figs. I and II, (1 indicates the cup, the floor a of which may be of copper or silver coated with mercury, or the cup may contain mercury, as indicated at a".

In Figs. I and II, b 1) indicate a double tube fastened to the cup. The inner member 1) of the double tube is open at the bottom, and suitable means for forcing Water into said tube and for regulating the pressure of the Water in the tube are provided, as indicated by the valve 0, a portion of which is shown in Fig. I. The outer member I] of the double tube opens through outlets d into the cup a.

Means are provided for forcing water through the passage between the members I) b and through the outlet cl into the inside of the These means may be any desired appliance suitable for the purpose and are indicated by the portion of the valve 0' shown in Fig. I. The outer member may be formed of copper and exteriorly coated with quicksilver, if desired.

e indicates a plateholding collar at the lower end of the tube. This collar encircles the tube and is provided with a set-screw f, so that the collar may be shifted along the tube and may be fastened at any desired position by means of such screw.

9 indicates amalgamating-plates set upon the collar e. e indicates a top collar fitted upon the outside of the tube b to rest upon the tops of the plates to hold them in position. The plates are set radially, as indicated in Fig. II, and extend up along the outer face of the tube. The upper collar is held in place by set-screw f.

It is to be understood without illustration that any number of sets of amalgamatingplates g, with their collars e 6, may be provided, arranged one above the other upon the tube, without altering my invention. The collars e e are preferably provided with notches 11, as shown in Fig. IV, to seat the plates. Preferably the collars are internally tapered, and the plates g are provided at their ends with projections h, which fit into the conical cavity 2' in the collar. The notches 2' are spaced appropriately to hold the plates at the proper distances apart.

Various means may be provided for regulating and directing the stream of water issuing from the outlet 2 or 2 below the cup and the outlet d or d in the cup. In Fig. small pipesj are provided as outlets from the passage between the members 1) Z). Said pipes have perforations d, which open downward to direct the stream down against the floor of the cup, and end perforations to direct the water outward radially. In Fig. III a single tube is shown, and the outlets d discharge into a cap 70, which has a down wardlyprojecting flange k, which directs the water downward toward the floor of the cup. The cap is screwed in place and is adjustable on the tube Z) and can be raised or lowered to increase and decrease the size of the opening d.

In practical operation the miner will bring his machine to the appropriate place, and water being forced through the double tube 7) b or through the single tube 19, as the case may be, will flow out at the bottom outlets 2 and d or 2 and d, as the case may be. The water flowing out at the mouth 2 or 2 will displace the sand and allow the machine to be forced down, while the sand will be'driven upward by the water and will come over the cup and be carried upward along the amalgamating-face of the plates g and also of the tube I), provided said tube is furnished with an amalgamated surface. The heavy particles of gold will fall into the cup, and any lighter particles of gold which may arise and come into contact with the amalgamating-surface will be retained thereby, and thus recovered from the sand.

It is to be understood thatI do not limit myself to the specific construction shown and that my invention is capable of various modifications. Illustration of such modifications is deemed unnecessary. If the cup at were dispensed with and the appliance used with amalgamating-surface alone, the operation of the machine would result in bringing the amalgamatingplates into contact with the gold and would serve the purpose of the invention to a greater or less degree. If the plates were dispensed with also and the tube furnished with an amalgamating-surface were used alone, the water issuing from the mouth of the tube would loosen the sand and allow the tube to sink and come into contact with particles of gold, which would adhere thereto, and thus be extracted from the sands.

The detachable amalgamating-plates shown are preferred, for the reason that they are comparatively inexpensive and when plated with gold can be readily replaced with new, thus allowing the gold to be removed conveniently.

The water which is discharged into the cup through the outlets keeps the material in the cups and above the cups lively, so that the fine gold can come into contact with the amalgamating-surface. The force of the water discharged through the outlets into the cups will be regulated, according to the requirements, as determined by the operator. The force of the discharge into thecu-p should not be so great as to prevent the gold from settling through the debris into the cup, but should be sufficient to prevent the sand from settling and packingin the cup. In the form shown in Fig. I the operator will control the force of the discharge into the cup by means of the valve 0. In the form shown in Fig.

III it will be regulated by lowering the caplt' to decrease the amount of the water discharged into the cup and by raising said cap to increase the discharge.

WVhat I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is

l. A hydraulic amalgamating-machine for extracting gold from sand in place, comprising a cup; means for discharging water below the cup; means for discharging water into the cup above the bottom thereof; and amalgamating-plates above the bottom of the cup.

2. A hydraulic amalgamating-machine for extracting gold from sand in place, comprising a cup; a tube fastened to the cup and extending through the bottom thereof,and opening beneath the cup and furnished with openings inside the cup; and an amalgamatingsurface near the bottom of the tube for collecting the gold.

3. A hydraulic amalgamating-machine for extracting gold from sand in place, comprising a cup; means for discharging water below the bottom of the cup; means for discharging water inside the cup; and amalgamatingplates arranged around the bottom of the tube above the bottom of the cup.

4. In a hydraulic amalgamating-machine for extracting gold from sand in place, the combination of a tube having an outlet at its lower end; means for forcing water through the tube; a cup fastened to such tube near the bottom of the tube; a supporting-collar on the tube; amalgamating-plates on the supporting-collar; and a collar for holding the upper ends of the plates in position.

5. In a hydraulic amalgamating-machine for extracting gold from sand in place, the combination of a tube open at its lower end; means for forcing water through said tube; a tube surrounding said openended tube and closed at its lower end and provided with lateral openings through the walls near the lower end; means for forcing water through said tube; a cup fastened to said tube below said openings; and amalgamating-plates extending up and down above said openings.

6. A hydraulic amalgamating-machine for extracting gold from sand in place, comprising a cup; means for handling said cup; a tube opening down through said cup; amalgamating-plates above the bottom of the cup; outlets into said cup from the lower end of said tube; means for forcing water through the tube and outlets; and means for directing the stream from said outlets downward into the cup.

7. A hydraulic amalgamating-machine for extracting gold from sand in place, comprising a cup; means for handling said cup; a tube opening through said cup; amalgamating-plates above the bottom of the cup; outlets into said cup from the lower end of the said tube; means for forcing water through the tube and outlets; means for regulating the discharge through the said tube; and means for regulating the discharge through said outlets.

S. A hydraulic amalgamating-machine for extracting gold from sand in place, comprising a tube; amalgamating-plates fastened to the tube and extending up and down therealong; and means for forcing water through the tube.

9. A hydraulic amalgamating-Inachiue for extracting gold from sand in place, comprising a tube; means for forcing water through the tube; two collars fastened to the tube; and detachable amalgamating-plates fastened between said collars.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses, at Los Angeles, California, this 13th day of June, 1900.

- GROVE S. BARTHOLOMEW.

Witnesses:

JAMES R. TOWNSEND, JULIA TOWNSEND. 

